weak abdominal muscles.....

I have lower back pain and I think I have gained a few pounds. I am going to try hard to get that off, but does anyone have weak abdominal muscles? Seems like its hard to even hold in my stomach. Maybe because of my back, maybe just the fibro. Who knows.. Just wondering if anyone else has this.

Don't feel bad if that's why you have back pain. You and most of America have the same problem . I know for me the best answer to my trashed abdominal muscles has been pilates. Unfortunately having fibro and muscle spasms makes pilates very painful. It's a give and take problem for me. I've ended up giving up pilates and am getting my ab work from cardio dance classes only. But when I was doing pilates three times a week my abs were in fabulous shape, and I never had back pain at all.

My husband gets bad sciatic back pain (he's six foot six so it's almost impossible for him to avoid). but when he was taking karate lessons a couple of times a week and getting more ab exercise that way and had lost some weight, his back stopped bothering him completely.

We don't live in a society where we use our core strength to do much of anything, and with fibro it HURTS when we actually do. Make sure if you decide to add core strengthening exercises into your day that you pick ones that won't aggravate your fibro any more than necessary. You have to pick your battles. We can't all look good in bikinis. I figure I'll let my friends have that one. I'll be the one with the good looking brain. LOL

Oh, while I'm thinking about it, one easy and not painful thing you can add is to sit on one of those big inflatable exercise balls while you're sitting at your computer surfing message boards and such. It forces you to engage your core muscles, and for me it takes stress off my back shoulders and neck and helps me be able to use my computer at all.

My chiro has me do an easy exercise. Suck in your belly button. Picture it going up into your diaphram (even though it doesn't). this helps not only strengthen the abs but it activates the lower back muscle that was causing my lower back pain because it is not strong. I do it during commercials while watching tv and at work in front of the computer :^)

said I was "swayback" because of weak abs. I had given birth to my son a few months before. I was like "HELLO, a baby came from there". Any way, I can't do the regular ab crunches b/c it kills my back but he told me to do something else. Squeeze the ab muscles like you are having a really tough bowel movement. Relax. Repeat about 20 or 30 times a day. Just at random if you want to. Of course, I couldn't do that on either because of my prolapsed uterus but it may help you.

I have a bad back, Fibro, gaining weight...and now I think I have a hernia. Needless to say, I am in pain and my tummy looks like I am 9 months pregnant. I tried wearing a girdle tonight. Not a heavy duty kind...just more support than reg. underware. It makes it feel better! Has anyone else tried this...and do you think its OK to sleep in one?

the abdominal muscles and the whole inner core is to get on the floor, bend your knees, and lift your body up while tightening your stomach muscles. It's hard to explain in words, remember as kids we'd do the crab walk? kind of like that, only you're keeping your elbows bent on the floor. Anyway, my chiro taught me this exercise when I used to keep up my appointments. It really helped my lower back pain when I did them!!! And, it's not something that has a big impact on your energy or gives you pain while doing it. You may try it! I'd do 10 repititions a day, holding the position for 10 seconds each. Hopefully it'll help!
loto

because of feeling not up to much of anything with cfids/fm, it is extremely challenging to get at any exercise. i keep trying, but it can have a backlash effect. but NOW !! maybe i've made a good discovery (and i see someone in your posts mentioned it)- it's an exercise ball. i've just started- the thing is, i'm thinking maybe i can stay with it here and there, because it's so comfortable and gentle. i'm finding things i can do using the medicine ball- stretching with elastic band that came with the med. ball i bought. it feels good stretching out over the ball, both frontwards and backwards. i'm gradually getting into it. i love the bouncing part.

anyway- this might be an approach you might like to get some exercising in. i've tried various things that proved too much for me. PT was too much for me. caused me pain. but the ball, so far, seems promising. it takes the weight of the body, whereas me using a yoga mat on the floor to stretch and do some exercises hurts. we'll see--so far so good- good luck! best, sascha

Weak stomach muscles can actually exascerbate bad pain and vice versa. Having a weak "core" as mentioned doesn't give any support to your back.

It's funny, for my entire life I've sucked my stomach in or tightened my stomach muscles I should say. People would laugh at me. They'd say "your stomach is so flat", then I'd tell them, it's because I tighten my muscles constantly - total habit. Let it go and it ain't so flat anymore. (Meaning, my stomach wasn't flat because it was fit, but because I tightened my muscles)
I could also always suck my stomach WAY in, show my hip bones- can't do that right now or lately actually.

My Dad always gave me tricks to help the back. Use your stomach muscles for everything - everytime you lift something, tighten your stomach muscles (and of course lift from your knees), it puts the pressure on your front not your back.
Forget crunches I can't do them anymore - on the floor. BUT you can simulate them to some degree even when you sitting on the couch, by leaning forward slighly, tightening (for longer than a crunch would last) then releasing. I used to even do them in the car.

If your back HURTS when you hold in your stomach, you need to slowly strengthen those muscles. I wouldn't be getting on the floor.